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Diploma:Diploma in Social + Content (Level 5)

Build a career creating work people actually see.

Create real campaigns. Graduate with a standout portfolio, a recognised qualification, and build confidence for entry-level opportunities in the industry.

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  • NZQA Level 5 Qualification
  • 1 Year Full-Time | 2 Years Part-Time
  • 100% Online + Live Classes
  • Practical Portfolio-Led Assessment
  • Next Intakes: 15 February 2027 | 3 May 2027
  • Domestic Fees: $10,120
  • StudyLink Student Loan + Allowance eligible

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Turn creativity into professional content capability.

Our 100% online programme is built for makers, content creators, and business owners who need practical production skills without the theory-heavy fluff.

  • Live Classes

    With experienced, dedicated tutors

  • Hands-on

    Practical content production

  • Flexible

    Study from anywhere in NZ

  • Industry-ready

    Build a professional portfolio

Registered & approved by

Smiling DMS graduate in a mortarboard at a graduation event
The words Degree and DIY struck through, with DMS left standing

Registered & approved by

  • 100%
    online
  • 120
    credits
  • 30
    Hours per week full time
  • 15
    Hours per week part time

Knowing how to post on social media is one thing.

Creating content for a clear audience, objective and channel — then knowing whether it worked — is another.

This diploma gives you a structured pathway to build practical capability across social media, design, video, live content, paid advertising, AI and performance reporting.

You’ll learn through practical projects and feedback, building the production confidence and marketing foundations to create work with purpose — not just disconnected posts.

More focused than a three-year degree. More structured and career-focused than teaching yourself platform by platform.

Find out more

Diploma snapshot

DMS410

Creative and digital design for social media.

Design high-impact, platform-native social content.
DMS510

Human-led content creation (video, live, interactive)

Create authentic video, live, and interactive content.
DMS511

Storytelling for content creators

Turn ideas into clear, compelling social stories.
DMS512

Future-focused content design and emerging platforms

Design content for emerging platforms and future formats.
DMS513

Paid advertising content

Create content built to perform in paid social.
DMS514

Data and evaluation of social media content

Analyse performance and optimise social content.
DMS610

Capstone Industry Project

Deliver a full social campaign from concept to launch.

Online, but not hands-off.

From onboarding to graduation, your learning is structured, visible, and supported

How Learning Works

Structure + Support

Study online, but never on your own
From onboarding to graduation, your learning is structured, visible, and supported. Here’s what that looks like.

Onboarding + Orientation

You don’t arrive at week one cold.

  • Enrolment interview to understand your goals, readiness and study commitments
  • One-to-one onboarding before classes begin
  • Support to plan study around work, family and other commitments
  • Orientation to tutors, classmates, systems and what to expect

You start knowing where you need to be, who to ask for help and what successful study looks like.

Schedule + Study Rhythm

Full-time: around 30 hours per week
Approximately 12 hours directed learning + 18 hours independent work

Part-time: around 15 hours per week
Approximately 6 hours directed learning + 9 hours independent work

A typical week can include:

  • Live tutor-led learning
  • Guided project work
  • Creating and refining content
  • Research and campaign planning
  • Assessment work
  • Preparing presentations and reviewing results

Live Teaching + Real-Time Feedback

Classes are live and interactive.

You’ll develop ideas, create work, get feedback and refine projects as your skills develop.

Support can include:

  • Feedback while work is in progress
  • Academic guidance from tutors
  • One-to-one support when needed
  • Clear assessment expectations and examples
  • Learning alongside classmates through live sessions and projects

You’re expected to take ownership of your work, but you’re not left to figure everything out alone.

Assessment + Industry Standard

There are no final exams or theory-heavy essays.

Assessment is practical and project-based, and may include:

  • Social media content
  • Video and design work
  • Campaign and content plans
  • Presentations and demonstrations
  • Data analysis and reporting
  • Collaborative projects

Your work can be reviewed and refined as your capability develops.

Ongoing Support + Career Access

Support continues beyond your assessments.

  • CV, cover letter and interview guidance
  • Help presenting your portfolio and capability professionally
  • Employment workshops and industry sessions
  • Tutors who know your work and can support your development
  • Internship opportunities may sometimes be facilitated through industry connections, subject to availability

For some graduates, Level 5 can also provide a pathway into the Level 6 Diploma in Digital Marketing, where the focus shifts from content production and execution towards broader digital marketing strategy.

Meet Your Tutors

Learn from people who’ve worked across agencies, brands, content, social, paid media and digital marketing.

Your tutors bring current industry experience into live classes, practical projects and feedback, helping you understand not just what to do, but how professional content gets made and improved.

EMPLOYABLE CREATIVE CAPABILITY

Why this Diploma? Why Now?

Social + Content Roles Are Actively Hiring

SEEK consistently lists hundreds of digital, social and content-related roles nationwide, from coordinator to strategist level.
Source: SEEK New Zealand live listings, 2026 snapshot.

This is visible, ongoing recruitment activity. Social and content capability is not a side function. It is a defined hiring category.

95%+ of New Zealand Is Online

More than 95% of New Zealand households have internet access, placing NZ among the highest internet penetration rates globally.
Source: Stats NZ Household Internet Use Survey; international penetration comparisons (World Bank / global datasets).

New Zealand is a digitally mature market. Audience behaviour has shifted permanently. Discovery, community participation and brand interaction now occur primarily in digital environments.

Social and content capability sits at the centre of that attention economy.

Businesses Invest Where Engagement Converts

Industry reporting shows continued investment in digital acquisition, e-commerce and measurable marketing channels.
Source: Madison industry outlook reporting.

Content and social strategy are increasingly tied to revenue outcomes, not just awareness. Employers seek marketers who understand how creativity connects to performance.

Capability Creates Entry

You don’t need a three-year degree to prove your capability.

Review of live job listings shows many social and content roles emphasise demonstrated skill, portfolio strength and platform understanding over formal marketing majors.
Source: SEEK job description review, 2026 snapshot.

In social and content marketing, employability is assessed through what you can create, analyse and improve.

This diploma is structured to build applied capability and a body of work that aligns with how employers actually hire.

Creative Isn’t the Same as Career-Ready

You might already feel creatively confident.

You can film, edit, design, post.
You understand platforms and trends.

But turning that into professional social media work is a different step.

Clients and employers look for more than creativity.

They want strategy, structure and proof you can deliver results.

That means understanding how content fits into campaigns, how platforms reward different formats, and how performance is measured.

This diploma helps bridge that gap.

You’ll build a credible portfolio, real campaign experience and the confidence to pitch your work professionally.

Because creative ability matters.

But career-ready creators know how to turn creativity into outcomes.

Career pathways

  • Content Creator
  • Social Media Coordinator
  • Marketing Assistant
  • Community Manager
  • Junior Paid Social Specialist
  • Video Content Producer

2027 Course Fees

Domestic tuition
$10,1202027 course tuition
Course Related Costs
$800Adobe Creative Cloud + Canva subscription

This diploma is approved for StudyLink Student Loans and Student Allowance. Your individual eligibility is determined by StudyLink. Estimate only. Subscription prices are set by the providers and may change with their pricing and the exchange rate.

Entry requirements + Funding

Entry Requirements

This is an NZQA Level 5 qualification. Applicants must meet general or special entry requirements, plus English language requirements.
All applicants are interviewed prior to enrolment.

General entry
You are eligible if you are 18 or older and have completed one of the following:

  • NCEA Level 3, or
  • a New Zealand Certificate at Level 4 or above (or equivalent)

Special entry
You may still be eligible if you can demonstrate readiness for Level 5 study. This includes:

  • being 21 or older with confidence and motivation to enter a digital marketing career, or
  • being 16 or older with:
    • NCEA Level 2 or a New Zealand Certificate at Level 3 (or equivalent), and
    • a demonstrated interest in digital marketing, and
    • a commitment to completing the programme

All special entry applications are reviewed by the Academic Board (or delegated reviewer).

English language requirements
You meet the English language requirement if one or more of the following apply:

  • English is your first language, or
  • te reo Māori is your first language and English is your second language, or
  • you have completed at least three years of secondary education where English was the primary language of delivery, or
  • you have completed an NZQA Level 3 qualification (or equivalent) taught in English, or
  • you have achieved IELTS 5.5, with no band below 5.0 (or an accepted equivalent test)

What you’ll need to study online

To study successfully online, you’ll need:

  • a reliable internet connection
  • a laptop or desktop computer suitable for everyday marketing and design tools
  • access to email and video conferencing
  • enough time each week for live learning, project work and independent study

We’ll confirm any specific software requirements before you start.

StudyLink + financial support

StudyLink approved

This diploma is approved for StudyLink Student Loans and Student Allowance. Your individual eligibility is determined by StudyLink.

Student Loan
Eligible students can apply for a Student Loan to help cover tuition fees and approved course-related costs.

Student Allowance
Eligible full-time students may also be able to receive a Student Allowance to help with living costs.

Eligibility depends on individual circumstances. Our advisors can help you understand what support you may be entitled to and how to apply.

Enrolment + Next Steps

Applications are open throughout the year for scheduled intakes.

Once you apply, our team will:

  • check your eligibility
  • talk through your goals and study commitment
  • confirm funding and enrolment requirements
  • guide you through the next steps

If your preferred intake is full, you can join the waiting list or choose a later start date.

Not ready to apply yet? Talk with an advisor about eligibility, timing or funding before you commit.

Talk through your options

Ready for your next step?

Tell us what would be most useful: get the course information, talk with an advisor or start your application. We’ll help from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

How much does the Diploma in Social + Content (Level 5) cost?

Domestic tuition for 2027 is $10,120. Course-related costs are $800 (Adobe Creative Cloud and Canva subscription).
* Course-related costs are an estimate based on current subscription prices. These subscriptions are set by third-party providers and may be charged in overseas currency, so the final cost may change with their pricing and the exchange rate. We’ll confirm the amount when you enrol.

2

Can I get a Student Loan or Student Allowance?

Yes. The diploma is approved for StudyLink Student Loans and Student Allowance. A Student Loan can cover tuition fees and approved course-related costs, and eligible full-time students may also receive a Student Allowance. StudyLink decides your individual eligibility, and our advisors can help you apply.

3

How long does it take and how many hours a week?

Full-time study takes one academic year (40 teaching weeks) at around 30 hours a week: 12 hours of directed learning and 18 hours of self-directed work. Part-time study takes two academic years at around 15 hours a week.

4

When is the next intake?

The next intakes start on 15 February and 3 May 2027. Applications are open all year. If your preferred intake is full you can join the waiting list or choose a later start.

5

What are the entry requirements?

You need to be 18 or older with NCEA Level 3, or a New Zealand Certificate at Level 4 or above, or equivalent. If you do not have those, you may still qualify through special entry, for example if you are 21 or older and motivated to start a digital marketing career. You also need to meet the English language requirement (IELTS 5.5 with no band below 5.0, or an equivalent). Every applicant has an interview before enrolment.

6

Are there exams?

No. Assessment is practical and portfolio-led. You are assessed on work such as social media content, video and design work, campaign and content plans, and presentations, with feedback while the work is in progress.

7

What do I finish with?

You'll graduate with an NZQA-accredited New Zealand Diploma in Content Creation (Level 5), 120 credits, certified as the DMS Diploma in Social Media Marketing and Content Creation, and a portfolio of industry-ready work that displays your skills.

8

Is the diploma fully online?

Yes. The diploma is 100% online with live, tutor-led classes, so you can study from anywhere in New Zealand. You will need a reliable internet connection and a laptop or desktop computer.

9

What jobs can this lead to?

Graduates move into roles such as Content Creator, Social Media Coordinator, Marketing Assistant, Community Manager and Junior Paid Social Specialist.